Dragons Den
by GlassicNerd
Summary: Since returning home from Edolas, the dragon slayers have triggered something unstoppable. One by one, dragon slayers experience mating season..and now its Natsus turn. Rated M for dark and sexual themes (NALU, GAJEVY, ELFGREEN, ect)
1. Viva La Vida

Chapter 1- Viva La Vida

In a world engulfed in magic, there should've been something a bit more mystical in the works of keeping people awake other than the cold coffee offered by the train Lucy was currently aboard. Each sip she took was merely motor function, her thoughts were muddled with exhaustion and all she could focus on was the idea of her bed.

She scoffed softly, Natsu and Happy have probably been keeping it warm while I've been gone..

Lucy's eyes glanced up, outside the window, where the night sky seemed to travel the miles with her on her journey home. It was a new moon, and in its absence, the sky seemed to be covered in thousands of beautiful stars.

She had been gone nearly 2 weeks, taking her time handling her quest. She had expose an illegal magic ring, where wizards had been betting on the likelihood of kids winning against reanimated corpses. Originally, it had been to find and recover the missing children, but their disappearance had led to a more sinister uncovering.

To Lucy, it seemed in a world where such magic existed, her work would never be done. Strangely, the thought caused her to smile. Work meant adventure, and while all of it might not be good writing material, that didn't mean it wasn't one hell of a story.

Another sigh sounded from Lucy's chest, she was exhausted yet sleep eluded her. Maybe the insomnia was spurred from some strange sense of homesickness; she had experienced a dull throb ever since she had departed from her guildhall. She knew that she missed her nakama, but her desire to accomplish herself was too strong to ignore. Lucy was tired of being the weak one out in her team, even though she knew no one regarded her as such. Perhaps it was a need to prove herself worthy of the Fairy Tail name, some twisted sense of inferiority, but for fuck sakes, she had to establish herself some day!

She loved the sense of belonging Fairy Tail offered, but things had begun to feel different after Lisanna returned. Lucy's sense of self worth seemed to return to something like it had been when she was Lady Lucy, pinned underneath her father's iron fist. Suddenly, being apart of Fairy Tail's strongest team wasn't good enough. Belonging wasn't good enough. Not to Lucy anyways. Something had changed, and she couldn't figure out what. So one day, Lucy plucked a paper from the request board and set off to fill the phantom hole in her heart.

The feeling of accomplishing something along side her stellar spirits was amazing, yet it didn't solve Lucy's problem. She took another job, and another, and another, for three months straight. She had thrown herself into a steady stream of work, and when she wasn't on a job, she was training. Dusk to dawn, she worked to build herself and her spirits, until it seemed as though she might take on Zefer himself.

Even with all the training, Lucy was restless. Nothing compared to the ache she felt, not the pain of a blow from an enemy, not the struggle to finish a run, not the heartbreak of coming home to her guild and not being able to stay. Nothing. She felt as though she had miles and miles to go until she could stop. And for what? Whatever goal was at the end, she didn't know. Her ending was clouded, masked in a kind of impenetrable smoke.

Suddenly, her fists clenched and teeth seemed to grind together. Her eyes burned no matter how many times she blinked. Lucy felt her hands move to her hair and dug her nails into her scalp to try to ease the unbearable emotions, and she felt the wetness of the blood she had drawn but no pain. She was numb, and pressed harder in an attempt to break the spell. Breathing was forgotten and her head grew foggy.

The train stopped. Her head snapped up sharply, only to cast her gaze down again. The brilliance of the sunrise had shocked her. Not because of its brightness, but of the fact she was home. How long had her muscles remained tight, frozen over by emotions? The dawn had come so soon.

Swallowing hard, she forced her body to move. Sitting up, she noticed a matrade making her rounds, awakening sleeping passengers and collecting trash such as coffee cups and discarded paper. The women passed Lucy and offered a kind smile, one she returned weakly.

Lucy stood and gathered her things, "Excuse me," She slid passed the matrade and made her way off the train.

Her feet seemed to carry her across Magnolia to her apartment, which when she opened the door, she was greeted with the subtle smell of smoke, but no Natsu, nor any of her other nakama. She thought of going down to the guildhall. Mirajane was probably up, preparing for another day of destruction. Wendy was definitely awake, that girl rose with the sun, which could be attributed to her sky dragon slayer magic.

Aside from the few early risers, Fairy Tail was bound to be empty. Lucy thought of going down and selecting another request and setting off before even the master was awake. She could be gone before anyone saw her. If she went now, she could make the train just in-

A second whiff of smoke hit her nose. She blinked and a wave of exhaustion poured over her, and it was all she could do to stand. Silently, she stepped in and shut the door, going directly to her bed. Everything else could wait.


	2. Polarize

Chapter Two- Polarize

Stepping out of her bathroom, Lucy decided that there was nothing a hot shower couldn't do. Her muscles were more relaxed than they had been in what seemed like an eternity. All the dirt and grime that her body had picked up over the journey melted away, leaving her with a sense of being unstoppable.

With her towel tight around her, she ruffled through her closet, selecting a simple outfit of a white blouse and bleached cutoffs. Making her way to her dresser to grab undergarments, she noticed her skimpy red thong missing.

"Hmph. Must be in the laundry.." Tossing her towel aside and pulling on a sports bra, she searched the crumpled clothes in the dryer, coming up empty except for a load of pants and dish towels. Lucy stood up stumped and went to grab another pair of panties

Down at the guildhall, the evening was in full swing. Lucy's return had sparked what seemed to be a welcome home party, one she was having trouble enjoying.

"Bottoms up, girly."

"Cana no, I'm not going to be able to get up early if you keep pushing shot after shot in my hand!" Lucy pushed the little glass back to her friend.

"For what Luce?" Cana seemed to get aggravated, "So you can leave us again for another job?" Lucy started to protest but she was stopped with a glare.

"Don't you dare lie. The moment you stepped in the door, we all saw one of the first things you did was go to that _damn_ request board. Something is up with you and I'll be knocked up by Elfman before any of us let you walk away like that again." Cana stood up and downed the rest of her pint, finishing her speech with "Don't run away from your problems, it's a disgrace to the Fairy Tail name."

Looking at the two shots Cana had left behind made Lucy want to break down like she had on the train, but Cana's words made it difficult. She had been left with a choice, she could either leave tomorrow or reclaim her place with her nakama. The ultimatum was difficult, and the realization of that made Lucy's eyes fill with tears. Who had she become?

Wiping her eyes, she quickly knocked back both drinks and stood up a bit too soon. The world seemed to tilt sideways and back, like she was on a ship in rocky waters.

 _Must be how Natsu sees the world_ , she thought to herself. Stumbling away from the bar, she noticed Levy and Gajeel's eyes on her. One of the two showed obvious concern, which to Lucy, seemed like a good enough invite to work her way through the maze of bodies, tables, and chairs.

"H-hey guys, when'd you get he-" she was pulled down sharply into a hug before being forced into a chair in between the two. Gajeel tightened up, not approving of the separation between himself and Levy, but was quickly stopped with a glance from the bluenette. "Um"

"Lucy," Levy breathed out, "How was your job? I -well, we- missed you so much!"

"It was, um-" Lucy looked at Levy strangely, attempting to decipher situation "It was hard. N-not the work, but the situation. I can't believe people would involve children in such...things." She looked back and forth between the two, noticing their odd behavior.

Gajeel seemed to grunt and Levy nodded sympathetically "You're not going on another job anytime soon, right? After an emotional one like that, it's really not a good idea."

Lucy opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by Gajeel's low grumble, "I can smell tequila on your breath."

Levy gasped "Luce, are you drunk? Shit, since when do you drink tequila? You can't go home alone like this. You're sleeping over tonight"

Without missing a beat Levy rose from her seat and went over to Mirajane at the bar to explain the situation. Lucy looked at her best friend standing near the bar and let her eyes wander as she her thoughts bounced around the events tonight and her emotions connected to them. Something strange was going on, but her mind was muddled by the shots she had took. All Lucy wanted to do was go back to sleep.

Movement caught her eye from across the guildhall, and her eyes focused in on pink hair. She could see Natsu and Lisanna speaking. Mouths moved and their laughter could be heard, all the way back to Lucy.

Her breathing slowed as she watched Lisanna first put her hand on Natsu's knee, then nearly slide into his lap. Lucy's throat constricted as she watched her _flirt_ with him, and she pinched her thigh in an attempt to wake herself from this nightmare.

Natsu's nose twitched, and he looked up and met eyes with Lucy. Her breath caught in her throat. They held the gaze for a three second beat, and Natsu's eyes seemed to flash gold in that moment. She watched how his fists seemed to clench the longer he stared at Lucy and-

A low growl from Gajeel broke their gaze, and Lucy looked at the dragon slayer beside her. His body was tight with tension, his teeth were bared at Natsu. It conveyed a clear message between them, _back off_.

Levy's return seemed to interrupt the dragon slayers display of dominance. Gajeel stood to greet her, and put his hand on the small of her back with the intention to guide her swiftly out the door. Levy grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her up as well, linking arms with her.

Lucy glanced over her shoulder to get another look at Natsu. His eyes were cold and didn't leave Lucy as they left the guildhall. She wanted to stop and ask what was going on, but when she faltered in step, Levy pulled her back. "Not now Luce, not now." The door seemed to slam shut behind them, causing Lucy to flinch.

She was led wordlessly down Magnolia's cobblestone streets, where the shadows seemed to reach out. The walk was short, only five minutes or so to the home Levy and Gajeel had come to share.

It was single story townhouse, with a red brick exterior and flower baskets that hung from the windows, which held metal flowers that Gajeel had crafted for Levy as a kind of housewarming gift to her. It had taken hours to arrange them in the dirt to her liking, to which he had grumbled profusely. Both of them regarded it as one of the best days ever.

They ended up in the kitchen, Lucy sitting at their small, eat in table wordlessly, and watched Levy at the counter as she made cups of tea and coffee. Gajeel sat posted looking out of the small window that overlooked the street.

"A lot has happened since you've been gone, Luce."


	3. Believer

Chapter 3- Believer

Levy did her best to explain things to Lucy but progress wasn't made until Levy scripted 'SOBER' into Lucy's face.

She began coughing and ran over to the trashcan to throw up any alcohol in her system, making Levy cringe "Sorry Lu,"

After rinsing out her mouth in the kitchen sink, she sat across Levy "Alright, now start from the beginning."

"Okay. So you know how on Edolas, they regarded dragon slayer magic as the strongest type of magic?" After a nod from Lucy, she continued, "Well because of that, they managed to find a way to emit a spell that triggers a hormonal flux within a dragon slayer. Traditionally, this hormonal imbalance would occur every century for dragons, which they regard as their 'mating season'"

Levy slid over a leather bound book to Lucy. "I've added some info on a dragon slayers mating cycle, but most of this is purely knowledge on dragon mating lore. You can look over it later on tonight when we're done talking."

Lucy thumbed through the book, admiring the beautiful sketches and penmanship "So why did they create such a spell? Why isn't its effects nullified now that Edolas no longer has magic?"

"Right. So because of the magic shortages, they thought if they could get more dragon slayers to breed and produce offspring, they could have more magical power on hand. Every time a portal between Edolas opened, the spell was triggered and anyone with dragons magic coursing through them in the surrounding area is affected. The spell hasn't dissipated because it permanently affects their hormonal cycle, and our mating season, if my calculations are right...should be every year and a half."

"Wait, our?" Lucy looked at Levy "Are you and-"

"Yes," Gajeel answered without turning "Levy's my mate."

There was a small pause in the room before Lucy began to giggle sporadically at the thought of them being an item after so long. Levy reached out to squeeze her mates hand. Turning back to Lucy, she rolled her eyes and blushed. "He can be possessive."

Lucy chewed on her lip, thinking about Natsu and his flash of golden eyes. Was that him telling her that Lisanna was his mate? He sure seemed comfortable enough with her..the image of her in Natsu's lap flashed against her eyes.

Standing up sharply, she looked at them "Why am I here?"

"What're you talking about Luce?

"Why am I here when you should be helping Lisanna?"

Levy and Gajeel exchanged a look of disbelief. "Lucy...Lisanna isn't Natsu's mate. You are"

Dropping back into her chair and covering her face with her hair, she heard Levy begin to laugh "Why the hell would we be telling you all of this if you weren't? Luce, c'mon, how in denial are you?"

Lucy shrugged "He hasn't been exactly cuddly lately.."

Levy sighed "Gajeel and I have been talking about that...and we agree that Natsu..isn't Natsu currently."

Coughing up a humorless laugh, Lucy nodded "Yeah." She wiped away the tears in her eyes "So what's going on with him then?"

"By observation we've determined that only one dragon slayer can experience the first change at a time. Gajeel finished roughly two and a half weeks ago." Levy explained, her face slightly pink.

Skipping over her friends embarrassment, it dawned on Lucy that Natsu should have begun his 'mating season' right as she left on her job. "Wait so-"

Gajeel turned around to look at Lucy "Bunny girl, Natsu isn't exactly mature. This whole shitstorm has fucked him up real good. Being away from our mates so long, especially when he hasn't even claimed you…"

Collapsing her head into her hands, Lucy was overwhelmed and asked "Does he actually care about me..or is it just the spell?"

Huffing, Levy took Lucy's hands "Girl. Even before this started happening, our entire guild shipped you two. Of course he cares, but again..this isn't Natsu."

"Well, it is," Gajeel began, and Levy shot him a glare "What? It is!"

He looked at Lucy again "Look. Whether Levy wants to admit it or not, this is a side of Natsu. It's a part of him we don't normally see...I guess you could call it the dragon within him. It wants what Natsu wants, and it's way smarter than he could ever be. Most of the time they stay deep in the mind, but this spell has waken up the giant."

Levy nodded in agreement and elaborated "The Dragon is their subconscious. It's urges are primal and it's very difficult to pacify them unless they get what they want."

"And while you're his mate, you've been acting like prey. The need to sink his teeth into you is probably extreme."

"Wow, thanks Gajeel! Such an amazing way to put it when she's being hunted by a feral dragon slayer!" Levy growled at him, leading to his jaw to tighten.

"Lucy is in danger and the sooner she knows, the sooner we can prepare her."

"Prepare her? Don't act like we're just about to hand her over!"

"Shrimp-"

"No! Don't 'shrimp' me! This is ridiculous. You saw how he was looking at her tonight, like-"

"Guys!"

Levy and Gajeel stared daggers at each other until he let out a soft growl

"Enough Levy."

Lucy watched Levy close her eyes and visibly counted to ten before responding "Fine. We will tell her all she needs to know, but so help me Gajeel, if you even suggest-"

"I won't." He looked over at Lucy "But you need to realize that dragons get hungry when we don't get what we want. As much as I side with Levy, I know that the longer we try and keep you away from him, the worst he'll get."

Sighing, Levy followed "What he means to say is, Natsu isn't safe to be around. He's too aggressive, Luce."

Paranoid, Lucy asked "What's to stop him from coming in here?"

Levy waved her hand and stood up "I put up a barricade to prevent him from when I heard that you were home," She looked at the clock "C'mon, it's getting late, we can talk more tomorrow. Let me show you the guest room."

 _ **Lucy was standing on the edge of an unfamiliar balcony, overlooking a large body of water. Below her the waves crashed against jagged rocks, sending the smell of the sea to her. The moon illuminated the ocean and the sky seemed to be dominated by both its size and its beauty. Her neck craned up, mesmerized, when she felt a strong pair of arms encase her.**_

 _ **"Beautiful, isn't it?" his breath tickled her ear and she flinched.**_

 _ **"Now now," his lips traveled down her neck, kissing softly "You've visited my dreams many times before Lucy, but soon.." He chuckled and nipped at her skin. "Soon I'll have you in my grasp for real."**_

 _ **Lucy licked her lips and tilted her head to the side "Don't count on it."**_

 _ **Laughing softly, he spread his hands across her stomach and hips, massaging her skin above her dress that seemed to shine with golden scales "Why are you running away from me? You know I'll catch you sooner or later."**_

 _ **Bitterness filled her voice "You've ignored me for months."**_

 _ **"I haven't been ignoring you, I've been watching very closely in fact. You're becoming stronger than you realize, little mate. Stronger just for me."**_

 _ **"They say you're dangerous,"**_

 _ **"Well of course I am, you knew that from the beginning. However, the way you've been eluding me..I must say...it has made me very angry."**_

 _ **He pushed her flat against the railing and hiked her dress up to her waist, tearing the material "And I may just have to punish you for it."**_

 _ **Lucy gasped and clamped her legs shut "I want to talk to Natsu."**_

 _ **"No dice, my pet. Submit and I just might let it happen.." his hand clamped down on her ass tightly.**_

 _ **"Did you just spank me?"**_

 _ **The Dragon let out a throaty laugh "Submit." His other hand grabbed a fist full of hair and yanked her head up as he grinded against her ass.**_

 _ **Lucy panicked "I want to speak to Natsu now!"**_

 _ **She heard a growl behind her and talons dug into her hip. Gritting her teeth together, she stomped on his foot behind her as hard as possible. The Dragon's grip on her loosened enough to straighten up and use the back of her skull to headbut him. Taking the only out she had, she dove off the balcony to the water below.**_

 ** _Twisting in the air, she managed to get a glimpse of The Dragon, who looked nearly identical to Natsu except for a pair of horns growing out of his skull and a dark grin_.**

 **Lucy sat up in bed, breathing hard. Glancing around the dark guest room she recalled where she was and relaxed against the headboard. "Just a dream." She sighed, closing her eyes.**

 **She went to brush a stray hair out of her face when suddenly she couldn't move her arms. Her body was pinned to the bed.**

 **"There's no where I can't reach you, Luce.." The Dragon whispered,**

 **A shrill scream left Lucy before he silenced her with his mouth, forcing his tongue in between her lips. His hands smacked into the headboard to brace himself as he moaned, "So sweet.."**

The door to the guest bedroom flew open just as Lucy awoke from her dreams, screaming and thrashing. Levy started to head forward to comfort her friend, but was stopped by her own mate. Her eyes followed Gajeel's line of sight and her mouth dropped in horror.

In the early light of the dawn, two large handprints were visible, sunken into the headboard with their outlines still glowing a bright red.


End file.
